Class and Crime

Crimes such as burglary, robbery and theft, which are associated with lower-class offenders are more likely to be prosecuted than crimes such as tax evasion or breaches of health and safety.

1 of 15

Albert Cohen (1955)

Delinquency is a collective rather than individual response - individuals are joining together to form a collective response with their behaviour. Also does not believe strain theory does not explain why working class males take part in crime.

Working class males reject mainstream values and replace these with deviant ones.

4 of 15

Cloward and Ohlin (1961)

Criticise Merton because they believe he fails to acknowledge that there is an illegitimate opportunity structure, which working class males have, as they have less opportunity to access the legitimate opportunity structure.

Working class males possess distinctive subculture that is part of the working class way of life. This stems from boredom and insecurity.

7 of 15

FATEST Focal concerns:

Fate, autonomy, Toughness, Excitement, Smartness, Trouble

8 of 15

Matza (1964)

working class youths techniques of neutralisation. 'Youths are a state of drift', 5 techniques are: Denial of responsibility, denial of wrong doing, injury, condemnation of rule makers, appealing to higher loyalties

9 of 15

Charles Murray (1989)

Underclass, don't share the same values as mainstream and are responsible for a high proportion of crime, because of their rejection of society's values

10 of 15

Winlow (2001)

Changing masculinities of men in Sunderland, ethnographic research into bouncers, participants observation

updated the definition to - crimes committed by the individually rich and powerful which are committed in the furtherance of their own interests. Often against the corporations in which they are working.

14 of 15

Box (1971)

Mystification the success of the capitalist organisations in convincing the general public, politicians and the media that corporates crimes have less significance.

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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Delinquency is a collective rather than individual response - individuals are joining together to form a collective response with their behaviour. Also does not believe strain theory does not explain why working class males take part in crime.

Back

Card 3

Front

Back

Card 4

Front

Working class males reject mainstream values and replace these with deviant ones.

Back

Card 5

Front

Criticise Merton because they believe he fails to acknowledge that there is an illegitimate opportunity structure, which working class males have, as they have less opportunity to access the legitimate opportunity structure.